Evaluation of ceruloplasmin levels in patients with lumbar disc herniation

BACKGROUND: Chronic inflammation is believed to have a role in the development of lumbar disc herniation (LDH). Ceruloplasmin (CP), an acute phase protein, is known to limit inflammation. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate CP levels in patients with LDH. METHODS: Thirty-five patients with LDH and 35 healthy individuals were enrolled in the study. Participants were divided into two groups; group 1 (n = 35) consisted of patients with LDH, and group 2 (n = 35) consisted of healthy subjects. Surgery specimens were taken from all patients who underwent LDH-related surgery. CP levels were measured in both blood and tissue samples. Pain intensity was evaluated using a visual analog scale (VAS). RESULTS: There were no significant differences in gender, age, or body mass index between the control and LDH patients (p > 0.05 for all). Compared with the control patients, LDH patients had significantly higher serum CP levels (p < 0.001). In LDH patients, tissue CP levels were significantly higher than serum levels (p < 0.001). According to bivariate analysis, the serum CP levels were significantly correlated with the VAS score in group 1 (r = 0.491, p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: The present study showed that CP levels increased in both the serum and the tissues of patients with LDH compared to patients without LDH, possibly as a consequence of LDH-associated inflammation.